Functional socks

ABSTRACT

A functional sock including a sock body having an opening for insertion of a user&#39;s foot into said sock body, and an elastic unit having an elastic layer adhered to a surface of said sock body, and a functional layer covering said elastic layer. The sock body further has a sock bottom spaced apart from the opening for covering a sole of the user&#39;s foot and having the surface of the sock body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to socks, more particularly to functional socks.

2. Description of the Related Art

Socks provide warmth when worn on a person's feet, and can be worn alone or with shoes. Generally, when socks are worn with the shoes, an insole is usually disposed between one of the socks and the respective shoe to provide added comfort to the user. However, the existing socks cannot cater to users with different foot types and demands. Hence, there is still room for improvement for the existing socks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a functional sock that has a special effect and that can replace an insole.

According to this invention, a functional sock comprises a sock body having an opening for insertion of a user's foot into said sock body, and an elastic unit having an elastic layer adhered to a surface of said sock body, and a functional layer covering said elastic layer.

The efficiency of this invention resides in that through the provision of the elastic unit, the functional sock of this invention can replace most of the existing insoles in the market. Further, the elastic unit can be made into different types to cater to different foot types and demands, so that the user can have many choices .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a functional sock according to the first preferred embodiment of this invention, illustrating the functional sock being worn on a user's foot;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating an alternative form of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a functional sock according to the second preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a functional sock according to the third preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a functional sock according to the fourth preferred embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a functional sock according to the fifth preferred embodiment of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a functional sock according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to comprise a sock body 1 and an elastic unit 2.

The sock body 1 has an opening 12 for insertion of a user's foot 3 into the sock body 1, and a sock bottom 11 spaced apart from the opening 12 for covering a sole 31 of the user's foot 3.

The elastic unit 2 is attached to the sock bottom 11 by sewing or by a hot melting process, and includes an elastic layer 21 adhered to an entire outer surface of the sock bottom 11, and a functional layer 22 covering the elastic layer 21. Concretely speaking, the elastic layer 21 is made from elastomeric gel or foam, so that it has good elasticity and is not easily deformed. This enables the user to have a soft and comfortable feeling when wearing the sock. Further, the elastic layer 21 has a buffer effect, so that it can replace an insole. The functional layer 22 can be made of fabric or thermoplastic polyurethane film. Preferably, the functional layer 22 is made of fabric, and can be used with different functional fabrics, for example, wicking fabric, charcoal fabric, cooling fabric, thermal fabric, etc., to achieve different effects, such as absorption of moisture and sweat, sterilization and deodorization, lowering the temperature, and warming. It is worth mentioning that, in an alternative form of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic layer 21 may have a plurality of vent holes 213, and may cooperate with the functional layer 22 that uses a wicking fabric to enhance the effect of absorbing the moisture and sweat.

Referring to FIG. 3, a functional sock according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the elastic unit 2 includes a plurality of the elastic layers 21 that are manufactured to form different shapes and that are distributed at different regions of the sock bottom 11 to cater to different foot problems, for example, flatfoot, plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial tendonitis, hallux valgus (bunions), callous and blister.

Referring to FIG. 4, a functional sock according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the sock bottom 11 has a heel area 111 corresponding in position to a heel 32 of the user's foot 3, and the elastic unit 2 is attached to an inner surface of the sock bottom 11 at a position corresponding to the heel area 111. The thickness of the elastic layer 21 is increased in comparison with the other preferred embodiments, so that when the functional sock of this embodiment is worn by the user, the height of the user can be increased.

Referring to FIG. 5, a functional sock according to the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the elastic layer 21 has a main portion 211 adhered to the entire inner surface of the sock bottom 11, and a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions 212 projecting from the main portion 211 into the sock body 1. During manufacture, the hardness or softness of the elastic layer 21 can be adjusted to coordinate with the structure of the protrusions 212 so as to achieve the effect of massaging the sole of the user's foot 3 or stimulating the acupuncture points of the sole of the user's foot 3.

Referring to FIG. 6, a functional sock according to the fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the elastic unit 2 further includes another elastic layer 21′ adhered to the outer surface of the sock body 1 at a position corresponding to a back of the heel of the user's foot 3. The functional layer 22 extends upward to cover the elastic layer 21′.

Additionally speaking, the elastic unit 2 in each of the aforesaid five preferred embodiments can be disposed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the sock body 1, as long as the elastic layer 21 is located between the functional layer 22 and the sock body 1.

Furthermore, the functional layer 22 may be provided with different designs and patterns on its surface to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the functional sock in each preferred embodiment.

In summary, through the provision of the elastic unit 2, the functional sock of this invention can replace most of the existing insoles in the market. Further, the elastic unit 2 can be made into different types to cater to different foot types and demands of users, so that the users can have many choices. Hence, the object of the present invention can be realized.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A functional sock comprising: a sock body having an opening for insertion of a user's foot into said sock body; and an elastic unit including an elastic layer adhered to a surface of said sock body, and a functional layer covering said elastic layer.
 2. The functional sock of claim 1, wherein said sock body further has a sock bottom spaced apart from said opening for covering a sole of the user's foot and having said surface of said sock body.
 3. The functional sock of claim 2, wherein said sock bottom has a heel area corresponding in position to a heel of the user's foot, and said elastic unit is disposed on said heel area.
 4. The functional sock of claim 2, wherein said elastic layer has a plurality of vent holes.
 5. The functional sock of claim 2, wherein said surface of said sock body is an entire surface of said sock bottom, said elastic layer including a main portion adhered to said surface of said sock body, and a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions projecting from said main portion into said sock body.
 6. The functional sock of claim 2, wherein said elastic unit is attached to said sock bottom by sewing.
 7. The functional sock of claim 2, wherein said elastic unit is attached to said sock bottom by a hot melting process.
 8. The functional sock of claim 1, wherein said elastic layer is a gel layer.
 9. The functional sock of claim 1, wherein said elastic layer is a foam layer.
 10. The functional sock of claim 1, wherein said functional layer is made of fabric or film. 